Former Marxist Gives Christian Defense of Capitalism

“I will share lessons that I have learned from the Bible, of moral philosophers like Hayek and Friedman, and of statesmen like Jefferson and Reagan.” — Economist Alex Tokarev

Visiting lecturer Alex Tokarev, an economist and Northwood University scholar who grew up under communism in Eastern Europe, presents “A Christian Defense of Capitalism.”

The talk takes place at 8 p.m. Thursday, March 26 in the Dow Science Center, Room L1, at Alma College. Admission is free and open to the public.

“I will share lessons that I have learned from the Bible, of moral philosophers like Hayek and Friedman, and of statesmen like Jefferson and Reagan,” says Tokarev.

Tokarev, who grew up as a Marxist in Bulgaria, has since converted to “classical liberalism,” the political ideology that values individual freedom. He earned his master’s degree from the University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy in Bulgaria and a Ph.D. in economics from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.

He has taught more than 20 different courses at six universities across the country — some big, some small, some private, some public, some secular and some Christian. Currently, Tokarev is a professor of economics and philosophy of the free enterprise system at Northwood University in Midland.

He also has authored hundreds of articles and contributed to television and radio programs on topics such as entrepreneurship, bureaucratic regulation, central banking, international trade, education, health care, fiscal policies, democracy and the rule of law.